R D R ....wiring

S

Scott Gentry

Active member
R D R = remotly duck related im curious about 24 v trolling moters. i have two batteries in my boat and im looking at a bowmount 24 v trolling motor. my questions are id like too run the batteries in series for the trolling moter and not be limited too 1 battery for all my accessories. (ie running the batteries in parallel for all accessories) any one fallowing me and have good advice? im a lil lost
Thanks Scott
 
You might be able to run a circuit with the batteries in paralle to the trolling motor and then run a two battery power cutoff switch (perko makes one) where you can choose to run off one battery or the other for your accessory and/or starting circuits.


wiring.JPG
 
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Well, it is ether one or the other meaning 24v or 12v with the two. But i wonder if you grab power off your first battery would you have just the 12v?
 
I'm pretty sure that Charlie's diagram is in parallel, not series, so you would only be getting 12 V to the trolling motor. You need to connect positive post battery A to negative post battery B and then Positive post on battery B to the motor and the motor to the negative post on battery A.

I believe there are converters available that will step 24 volts down to 12 volts. I don't know the costs

quick google search:

http://www.powerstream.com/dc1-isolated.htm
http://www.okoffroad.com/stuff-voltage-reducer.htm
 
not bad Charlie...but you forgot the guy wearing the pot on his head so you aren't quite a Harker - class artiste yet!

hehehe
 
Scott,
My boat is hooked up for 12/24 volts as follows... Battery 1 has all the electronics and is the starter battery for the out board (even tho it is a deep cycle), it is the one that the alternator charges. A positive wire and a negative wire from battery 1 go to the trolling motor (12 volt) ALONG WITH the positive wire from battery 2 (24 volt). The negative post on battery 2 is jumped to the positive post on battery 1. You need 3 wires for a 24 volt trolling motor (at least my old evinrude). I bought small buss bars for batteries to get enough space for the electronics (on bat. 1) and used 30amp heat breakers on the positive posts of both batteries for my trolling motor fusing and I ran 6 gauge welding ground wire (3 wires) to the front and hard wired them to the trolling motor. I charge the batteries by UNHOOKING THE JUMPER and using 2 chargers.
I don't know if there is a way to use both batteries for electronics, but I've only had a couple of instances where I fished long enough to wear the starting battery down to where it wouldn't start the outboard. In those cases I unhooked the jumper and used it and a seat base and even my thermos to jump the batteries in parallel to start the motor.
Hope that makes sense.

George
 
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the only part i was real concerned about wanting too run off both batteries exept the trolling motor was the head lights. and talking too my parts guy he told me my hella lights could work off a 24v system w a new bulb so i think im good now i can run a bus bar off one battery for the bilge and nav lights then run the batteries in series too run trolling motor and head lights.
P S this pot head aint got electric start lol
 
Thats alright, this pot head doesn't have headlights!!!
Got to thinking about it, at least with my setup, the 24 v setup is one "circuit", the starter and alternator to a 12 v are a second circuit, my feeble mind can't come up with a reason why you couldn't run both batteries in parallel if just your electronics were on that as a third circuit... But then no one ever accused me of being an ELECTRICAL FREEKIN GENIUS. Better do it the way your mechanic suggests. Maybe somebody can straighten me out, eh.

Good luck
George
 
and confusing as hell. I am a total dumbass when it comes to "lectric" stuff. I decided that the Perco switch and "parallel" and "series" were too darn complicated long ago. I have like 6 batteries in my boat...each dedicated to it's own electical appliance like capucino makers and hair dryers etc which of course means that each battery has it's own inverter(very confusing...AC/DC is a band and lifestyle dangit).

No seriously, the one thing that has made my life so much easier in recent years...and I'm sure I'm not the only one is installing an onboard charger. I have one I bought on sale at Cabela's...it's a ProMariner(Chinese) 2 bank/12ampand each side is dedicated to one big assed battery that runs my anchor winch and trolling motor. You plug it in-it's real easy like. And if my starter/accesory battery(which charges off the motor)craps out I can jump my motor off the "big assed" one in the front. I always have long jumper cables handy in my boat to jump the boat off the truck etc. The onboard charger is highly recommended and I really like the one I have.
 
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I've thought about one of the onboard chargers, actually I'd like one. Only problem is there is just enough room for 2 batteries and a 6 gal tank in the compartment. I actually have to squeeze my hand in between them to get to the drain plug. That and I"v been using two chargers since the early 80s and I'm too damn old to change ;^).

George
 
They make little ones George...you can start small and work your way up. It just takes longer to charge the battery. It's so easy the first time you plug it in...you may even cry George.
 
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